Easel or individual separator



Jan. 30, 1923.

1 H SMITH EASEL 0R INDIVIDUALSEPARATOR.

FILED MAY 3, I920- INVENTORH Patented Jan. 30, 1923.

UNITED JAMES H. SMITH, OFROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 INQ, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, .A' CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

EASEL 0R INDIVIDUAL SEPARATQR.

Application filed May 3, 1920. .Serial No.1378,477

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES H. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Easels or Individual Separators, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to a package for containers and to an easel to be used therewith and also independently thereof, and an object of this invention is to provide for packing and cushioning fragile receptacles, the cushioning means preferably being convertible into an easel. Another object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive easel which may be employed for supporting an article on a show case, counter or the like.

To these and other ends the invention consists of certain parts and combinations of parts, all of which will be hereinafter described, the novel features being pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings: I

Fig. l is a front view of the easel wlth'a container therein;

Fig. 2 is a side view;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33, F 1g. 2;

Fig. 4 shows the easel spread out with all the parts thereof in a single plane; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view through a receptacle showing the manner in which the easels are utilized for separating and cushioning the containers.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 indicates a container which, in this instance, is in the form of two bottles arranged end to end and connected by a'single cork to produce a reduced central portion between the two bodies of the bottles. This container is supported on an easeil comprising in this instance, a front piece 2 formed of flexible and resilient material such as card board and provided with two parallel slits 3 through which the container 1 is passed upon the bending or flexing of the front piece 2. p

Associated with the front piece is a supporting member formed in this instance, in one piece with the front piece and proceeding from one edge of the front piece. This supporting member is preferably bent at 4 so that two arms are provided, the outer or free arm being engaged container when the latter is with one wall of the slit farthest removed from the bend 5 with which the supporting member connects with l the front piece 2. This arm is also preferably bent at 6 at angles other than right angles to the longitudinal axis of the strip so as to provide inwardly extending tongues 7 on opposite sides for engaging the front piece between the slits as shown in Fig. 3, the lower edges of the tongues resting on the lower wall of the lower slit to give strength to the support and prevent the lateral or .sidewise movement of the supporting member.

An easel'such as described, provides. an eflicient separating and cushioning device for the container when the latter is arranged with other containers in a common receptacle. Such receptacle is illustrated in Fig. 5 and indicated at 8, the containers with their supporting easels being shown in cushioned and separated condition. To secure this result, the supporting portion of the easel is laid flat upon the front piece so that the two curve in the direction of the length of the container and project beyond the opposite sides of the container. These projecting portions cooperate with the side walls of the receptacle 8 and with the easels of other containers and in this way act as cushioning and separating means.

' From the foregoing it will be seen that there has been provided an easel which permits the proper display of a container. This easel is inexpensively made and may very readily fold into compact form. When folded, it may be utilized as a separating.

and cushioning device for cushioning the arranged in a receptacle with other containers.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: p

1. A display easel comprising a front piece formed with two horizontal slits, said front piece being flexed rearwardly above and below the slits and forwardly between the slits, and a flexible supporting member sMrrn-Jmvroa ooiurnnr,

bent between its end connected at one end i with a horizontal edge of the front piece, and having its opposite end engaging a wall of one of the slits. v

2. A display easel comprising a flexible front member formed with two slits, and a flexible supporting member jconnected to one edge of the flexible front member and having its free end engaged in the slits "farthest removed from its Secured edgewnd provided. ith tonguesnear its' free endbenb inwardly to engage the front member be tween theslits.

3. "A i splay easel strig of sheei material and Comprising a flexible 1 (mtinembelformed with twoslits, and 2V suppol Ling member connected at one edge to one edge of the front-'membembennn between its ends and having that portion on formefil from a single,

of the bend nearest the free end of memben on opposite slfies 11- etner than right angles to the l-asngitmuml axis of the strip to proviCe two tongues, the free end Oi the suppoiting; member in one slit and the edges of "Lhe tongues resting on a wall of the other slit.

H. SMITH. 

